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The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

13 See, my servant will act wisely[a];he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him[b]—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human beingand his form marred beyond human likeness—15 so he will sprinkle many nations,[c]and kings will shut their mouths because of him.For what they were not told, they will see,and what they have not heard, they will understand.

53 Who has believed our messageand to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,and like a root out of dry ground.He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.Like one from whom people hide their faceshe was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our painand bore our suffering,yet we considered him punished by God,stricken by him, and afflicted.5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,he was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was on him,and by his wounds we are healed.6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,each of us has turned to our own way;and the Lord has laid on himthe iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,yet he did not open his mouth;he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,so he did not open his mouth.8 By oppression[d] and judgment he was taken away.Yet who of his generation protested?For he was cut off from the land of the living;for the transgression of my people he was punished.[e]9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,and with the rich in his death,though he had done no violence,nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,and though the Lord makes[f] his life an offering for sin,he will see his offspring and prolong his days,and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.11 After he has suffered,he will see the light of life[g] and be satisfied[h];by his knowledge[i] my righteous servant will justify many,and he will bear their iniquities.12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[j]and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[k]because he poured out his life unto death,and was numbered with the transgressors.For he bore the sin of many,and made intercession for the transgressors.

The Future Glory of Zion

54 “Sing, barren woman,you who never bore a child;burst into song, shout for joy,you who were never in labor;because more are the children of the desolate womanthan of her who has a husband,”says the Lord.2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,stretch your tent curtains wide,do not hold back;lengthen your cords,strengthen your stakes.3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;your descendants will dispossess nationsand settle in their desolate cities.

4 “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.You will forget the shame of your youthand remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.5 For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;he is called the God of all the earth.6 The Lord will call you backas if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young,only to be rejected,” says your God.7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you,but with deep compassion I will bring you back.8 In a surge of angerI hid my face from you for a moment,but with everlasting kindnessI will have compassion on you,”says the Lord your Redeemer.

9 “To me this is like the days of Noah,when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,never to rebuke you again.10 Though the mountains be shakenand the hills be removed,yet my unfailing love for you will not be shakennor my covenant of peace be removed,”says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

11 “Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[l]your foundations with lapis lazuli.12 I will make your battlements of rubies,your gates of sparkling jewels,and all your walls of precious stones.13 All your children will be taught by the Lord,and great will be their peace.14 In righteousness you will be established:Tyranny will be far from you;you will have nothing to fear.Terror will be far removed;it will not come near you.15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmithwho fans the coals into flameand forges a weapon fit for its work.And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc;17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,and this is their vindication from me,”declares the Lord.

Invitation to the Thirsty

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,come to the waters;and you who have no money,come, buy and eat!Come, buy wine and milkwithout money and without cost.2 Why spend money on what is not bread,and your labor on what does not satisfy?Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,and you will delight in the richest of fare.3 Give ear and come to me;listen, that you may live.I will make an everlasting covenant with you,my faithful love promised to David.4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,a ruler and commander of the peoples.5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,and nations you do not know will come running to you,because of the Lord your God,the Holy One of Israel,for he has endowed you with splendor.”

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;call on him while he is near.7 Let the wicked forsake their waysand the unrighteous their thoughts.Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord.9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your waysand my thoughts than your thoughts.10 As the rain and the snowcome down from heaven,and do not return to itwithout watering the earthand making it bud and flourish,so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:It will not return to me empty,but will accomplish what I desireand achieve the purpose for which I sent it.12 You will go out in joyand be led forth in peace;the mountains and hillswill burst into song before you,and all the trees of the fieldwill clap their hands.13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.This will be for the Lord’s renown,for an everlasting sign,that will endure forever.”

Salvation for Others

56 This is what the Lord says:

“Maintain justiceand do what is right,for my salvation is close at handand my righteousness will soon be revealed.2 Blessed is the one who does this—the person who holds it fast,who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it,and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”

3 Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say,“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”And let no eunuch complain,“I am only a dry tree.”

4 For this is what the Lord says:

“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,who choose what pleases meand hold fast to my covenant—5 to them I will give within my temple and its wallsa memorial and a namebetter than sons and daughters;I will give them an everlasting namethat will endure forever.6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lordto minister to him,to love the name of the Lord,and to be his servants,all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating itand who hold fast to my covenant—7 these I will bring to my holy mountainand give them joy in my house of prayer.Their burnt offerings and sacrificeswill be accepted on my altar;for my house will be calleda house of prayer for all nations.”8 The Sovereign Lord declares—he who gathers the exiles of Israel:“I will gather still others to thembesides those already gathered.”

God’s Accusation Against the Wicked

9 Come, all you beasts of the field,come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!10 Israel’s watchmen are blind,they all lack knowledge;they are all mute dogs,they cannot bark;they lie around and dream,they love to sleep.11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;they never have enough.They are shepherds who lack understanding;they all turn to their own way,they seek their own gain.12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!Let us drink our fill of beer!And tomorrow will be like today,or even far better.”

57 The righteous perish,and no one takes it to heart;the devout are taken away,and no one understandsthat the righteous are taken awayto be spared from evil.2 Those who walk uprightlyenter into peace;they find rest as they lie in death.

3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!4 Who are you mocking?At whom do you sneerand stick out your tongue?Are you not a brood of rebels,the offspring of liars?5 You burn with lust among the oaksand under every spreading tree;you sacrifice your children in the ravinesand under the overhanging crags.6 The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;indeed, they are your lot.Yes, to them you have poured out drink offeringsand offered grain offerings.In view of all this, should I relent?7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;there you went up to offer your sacrifices.8 Behind your doors and your doorpostsyou have put your pagan symbols.Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,you climbed into it and opened it wide;you made a pact with those whose beds you love,and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.9 You went to Molek[m] with olive oiland increased your perfumes.You sent your ambassadors[n] far away;you descended to the very realm of the dead!10 You wearied yourself by such going about,but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’You found renewal of your strength,and so you did not faint.

11 “Whom have you so dreaded and fearedthat you have not been true to me,and have neither remembered menor taken this to heart?Is it not because I have long been silentthat you do not fear me?12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,and they will not benefit you.13 When you cry out for help,let your collection of idols save you!The wind will carry all of them off,a mere breath will blow them away.But whoever takes refuge in mewill inherit the landand possess my holy mountain.”

Comfort for the Contrite

14 And it will be said:

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”15 For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy:“I live in a high and holy place,but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,to revive the spirit of the lowlyand to revive the heart of the contrite.16 I will not accuse them forever,nor will I always be angry,for then they would faint away because of me—the very people I have created.17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;I punished them, and hid my face in anger,yet they kept on in their willful ways.18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal them;I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners,19 creating praise on their lips.Peace, peace, to those far and near,”says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea,which cannot rest,whose waves cast up mire and mud.21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

True Fasting

58 “Shout it aloud, do not hold back.Raise your voice like a trumpet.Declare to my people their rebellionand to the descendants of Jacob their sins.2 For day after day they seek me out;they seem eager to know my ways,as if they were a nation that does what is rightand has not forsaken the commands of its God.They ask me for just decisionsand seem eager for God to come near them.3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,‘and you have not seen it?Why have we humbled ourselves,and you have not noticed?’

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you pleaseand exploit all your workers.4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,and in striking each other with wicked fists.You cannot fast as you do todayand expect your voice to be heard on high.5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,only a day for people to humble themselves?Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reedand for lying in sackcloth and ashes?Is that what you call a fast,a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:to loose the chains of injusticeand untie the cords of the yoke,to set the oppressed freeand break every yoke?7 Is it not to share your food with the hungryand to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them,and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,and your healing will quickly appear;then your righteousness[o] will go before you,and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,with the pointing finger and malicious talk,10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungryand satisfy the needs of the oppressed,then your light will rise in the darkness,and your night will become like the noonday.11 The Lord will guide you always;he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched landand will strengthen your frame.You will be like a well-watered garden,like a spring whose waters never fail.12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruinsand will raise up the age-old foundations;you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbathand from doing as you please on my holy day,if you call the Sabbath a delightand the Lord’s holy day honorable,and if you honor it by not going your own wayand not doing as you please or speaking idle words,14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the landand to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Sin, Confession and Redemption

59 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,nor his ear too dull to hear.2 But your iniquities have separatedyou from your God;your sins have hidden his face from you,so that he will not hear.3 For your hands are stained with blood,your fingers with guilt.Your lips have spoken falsely,and your tongue mutters wicked things.4 No one calls for justice;no one pleads a case with integrity.They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies;they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.5 They hatch the eggs of vipersand spin a spider’s web.Whoever eats their eggs will die,and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;they cannot cover themselves with what they make.Their deeds are evil deeds,and acts of violence are in their hands.7 Their feet rush into sin;they are swift to shed innocent blood.They pursue evil schemes;acts of violence mark their ways.8 The way of peace they do not know;there is no justice in their paths.They have turned them into crooked roads;no one who walks along them will know peace.

9 So justice is far from us,and righteousness does not reach us.We look for light, but all is darkness;for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.10 Like the blind we grope along the wall,feeling our way like people without eyes.At midday we stumble as if it were twilight;among the strong, we are like the dead.11 We all growl like bears;we moan mournfully like doves.We look for justice, but find none;for deliverance, but it is far away.

12 For our offenses are many in your sight,and our sins testify against us.Our offenses are ever with us,and we acknowledge our iniquities:13 rebellion and treachery against the Lord,turning our backs on our God,inciting revolt and oppression,uttering lies our hearts have conceived.14 So justice is driven back,and righteousness stands at a distance;truth has stumbled in the streets,honesty cannot enter.15 Truth is nowhere to be found,and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeasedthat there was no justice.16 He saw that there was no one,he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;so his own arm achieved salvation for him,and his own righteousness sustained him.17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,and the helmet of salvation on his head;he put on the garments of vengeanceand wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.18 According to what they have done,so will he repaywrath to his enemiesand retribution to his foes;he will repay the islands their due.19 From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord,and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory.For he will come like a pent-up floodthat the breath of the Lord drives along.[p]

20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion,to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”declares the Lord.

21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

The Glory of Zion

60 “Arise, shine, for your light has come,and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.2 See, darkness covers the earthand thick darkness is over the peoples,but the Lord rises upon youand his glory appears over you.3 Nations will come to your light,and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:All assemble and come to you;your sons come from afar,and your daughters are carried on the hip.5 Then you will look and be radiant,your heart will throb and swell with joy;the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,to you the riches of the nations will come.6 Herds of camels will cover your land,young camels of Midian and Ephah.And all from Sheba will come,bearing gold and incenseand proclaiming the praise of the Lord.7 All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you,the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;they will be accepted as offerings on my altar,and I will adorn my glorious temple.

8 “Who are these that fly along like clouds,like doves to their nests?9 Surely the islands look to me;in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,[q]bringing your children from afar,with their silver and gold,to the honor of the Lord your God,the Holy One of Israel,for he has endowed you with splendor.

10 “Foreigners will rebuild your walls,and their kings will serve you.Though in anger I struck you,in favor I will show you compassion.11 Your gates will always stand open,they will never be shut, day or night,so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations—their kings led in triumphal procession.12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish;it will be utterly ruined.

13 “The glory of Lebanon will come to you,the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,to adorn my sanctuary;and I will glorify the place for my feet.14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you;all who despise you will bow down at your feetand will call you the City of the Lord,Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 “Although you have been forsaken and hated,with no one traveling through,I will make you the everlasting prideand the joy of all generations.16 You will drink the milk of nationsand be nursed at royal breasts.Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior,your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,and silver in place of iron.Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,and iron in place of stones.I will make peace your governorand well-being your ruler.18 No longer will violence be heard in your land,nor ruin or destruction within your borders,but you will call your walls Salvationand your gates Praise.19 The sun will no more be your light by day,nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,for the Lord will be your everlasting light,and your God will be your glory.20 Your sun will never set again,and your moon will wane no more;the Lord will be your everlasting light,and your days of sorrow will end.21 Then all your people will be righteousand they will possess the land forever.They are the shoot I have planted,the work of my hands,for the display of my splendor.22 The least of you will become a thousand,the smallest a mighty nation.I am the Lord;in its time I will do this swiftly.”

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,because the Lord has anointed meto proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim freedom for the captivesand release from darkness for the prisoners,[r]2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favorand the day of vengeance of our God,to comfort all who mourn,3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beautyinstead of ashes,the oil of joyinstead of mourning,and a garment of praiseinstead of a spirit of despair.They will be called oaks of righteousness,a planting of the Lordfor the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruinsand restore the places long devastated;they will renew the ruined citiesthat have been devastated for generations.5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks;foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.6 And you will be called priests of the Lord,you will be named ministers of our God.You will feed on the wealth of nations,and in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of your shameyou will receive a double portion,and instead of disgraceyou will rejoice in your inheritance.And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,and everlasting joy will be yours.

8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;I hate robbery and wrongdoing.In my faithfulness I will reward my peopleand make an everlasting covenant with them.9 Their descendants will be known among the nationsand their offspring among the peoples.All who see them will acknowledgethat they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

10 I delight greatly in the Lord;my soul rejoices in my God.For he has clothed me with garments of salvationand arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.11 For as the soil makes the sprout come upand a garden causes seeds to grow,so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousnessand praise spring up before all nations.

Zion’s New Name

62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,till her vindication shines out like the dawn,her salvation like a blazing torch.2 The nations will see your vindication,and all kings your glory;you will be called by a new namethat the mouth of the Lord will bestow.3 You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,a royal diadem in the hand of your God.4 No longer will they call you Deserted,or name your land Desolate.But you will be called Hephzibah,[s]and your land Beulah[t];for the Lord will take delight in you,and your land will be married.5 As a young man marries a young woman,so will your Builder marry you;as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,so will your God rejoice over you.

6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem;they will never be silent day or night.You who call on the Lord,give yourselves no rest,7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalemand makes her the praise of the earth.

8 The Lord has sworn by his right handand by his mighty arm:“Never again will I give your grainas food for your enemies,and never again will foreigners drink the new winefor which you have toiled;9 but those who harvest it will eat itand praise the Lord,and those who gather the grapes will drink itin the courts of my sanctuary.”

10 Pass through, pass through the gates!Prepare the way for the people.Build up, build up the highway!Remove the stones.Raise a banner for the nations.

11 The Lord has made proclamationto the ends of the earth:“Say to Daughter Zion,‘See, your Savior comes!See, his reward is with him,and his recompense accompanies him.’”12 They will be called the Holy People,the Redeemed of the Lord;and you will be called Sought After,the City No Longer Deserted.

God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption

63 Who is this coming from Edom,from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson?Who is this, robed in splendor,striding forward in the greatness of his strength?

“It is I, proclaiming victory,mighty to save.”

2 Why are your garments red,like those of one treading the winepress?

3 “I have trodden the winepress alone;from the nations no one was with me.I trampled them in my angerand trod them down in my wrath;their blood spattered my garments,and I stained all my clothing.4 It was for me the day of vengeance;the year for me to redeem had come.5 I looked, but there was no one to help,I was appalled that no one gave support;so my own arm achieved salvation for me,and my own wrath sustained me.6 I trampled the nations in my anger;in my wrath I made them drunkand poured their blood on the ground.”

Praise and Prayer

7 I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord,the deeds for which he is to be praised,according to all the Lord has done for us—yes, the many good thingshe has done for Israel,according to his compassion and many kindnesses.8 He said, “Surely they are my people,children who will be true to me”;and so he became their Savior.9 In all their distress he too was distressed,and the angel of his presence saved them.[u]In his love and mercy he redeemed them;he lifted them up and carried themall the days of old.10 Yet they rebelledand grieved his Holy Spirit.So he turned and became their enemyand he himself fought against them.

11 Then his people recalled[v] the days of old,the days of Moses and his people—where is he who brought them through the sea,with the shepherd of his flock?Where is he who sethis Holy Spirit among them,12 who sent his glorious arm of powerto be at Moses’ right hand,who divided the waters before them,to gain for himself everlasting renown,13 who led them through the depths?Like a horse in open country,they did not stumble;14 like cattle that go down to the plain,they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord.This is how you guided your peopleto make for yourself a glorious name.

15 Look down from heaven and see,from your lofty throne, holy and glorious.Where are your zeal and your might?Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us.16 But you are our Father,though Abraham does not know usor Israel acknowledge us;you, Lord, are our Father,our Redeemer from of old is your name.17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander from your waysand harden our hearts so we do not revere you?Return for the sake of your servants,the tribes that are your inheritance.18 For a little while your people possessed your holy place,but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary.19 We are yours from of old;but you have not ruled over them,they have not been called[w] by your name.

64 [x]Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,that the mountains would tremble before you!2 As when fire sets twigs ablazeand causes water to boil,come down to make your name known to your enemiesand cause the nations to quake before you!3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.4 Since ancient times no one has heard,no ear has perceived,no eye has seen any God besides you,who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,who remember your ways.But when we continued to sin against them,you were angry.How then can we be saved?6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;we all shrivel up like a leaf,and like the wind our sins sweep us away.7 No one calls on your nameor strives to lay hold of you;for you have hidden your face from usand have given us over to[y] our sins.

8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.We are the clay, you are the potter;we are all the work of your hand.9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord;do not remember our sins forever.Oh, look on us, we pray,for we are all your people.10 Your sacred cities have become a wasteland;even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.11 Our holy and glorious temple, where our ancestors praised you,has been burned with fire,and all that we treasured lies in ruins.12 After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure?

Judgment and Salvation

65 “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;I was found by those who did not seek me.To a nation that did not call on my name,I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’2 All day long I have held out my handsto an obstinate people,who walk in ways not good,pursuing their own imaginations—3 a people who continually provoke meto my very face,offering sacrifices in gardensand burning incense on altars of brick;4 who sit among the gravesand spend their nights keeping secret vigil;who eat the flesh of pigs,and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;5 who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,for I am too sacred for you!’Such people are smoke in my nostrils,a fire that keeps burning all day.

6 “See, it stands written before me:I will not keep silent but will pay back in full;I will pay it back into their laps—7 both your sins and the sins of your ancestors,”says the Lord.“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountainsand defied me on the hills,I will measure into their lapsthe full payment for their former deeds.”

8 This is what the Lord says:

“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapesand people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,there is still a blessing in it,’so will I do in behalf of my servants;I will not destroy them all.9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,and from Judah those who will possess my mountains;my chosen people will inherit them,and there will my servants live.10 Sharon will become a pasture for flocks,and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds,for my people who seek me.

11 “But as for you who forsake the Lordand forget my holy mountain,who spread a table for Fortuneand fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,12 I will destine you for the sword,and all of you will fall in the slaughter;for I called but you did not answer,I spoke but you did not listen.You did evil in my sightand chose what displeases me.”

13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“My servants will eat,but you will go hungry;my servants will drink,but you will go thirsty;my servants will rejoice,but you will be put to shame.14 My servants will singout of the joy of their hearts,but you will cry outfrom anguish of heartand wail in brokenness of spirit.15 You will leave your namefor my chosen ones to use in their curses;the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,but to his servants he will give another name.16 Whoever invokes a blessing in the landwill do so by the one true God;whoever takes an oath in the landwill swear by the one true God.For the past troubles will be forgottenand hidden from my eyes.

New Heavens and a New Earth

17 “See, I will createnew heavens and a new earth.The former things will not be remembered,nor will they come to mind.18 But be glad and rejoice foreverin what I will create,for I will create Jerusalem to be a delightand its people a joy.19 I will rejoice over Jerusalemand take delight in my people;the sound of weeping and of cryingwill be heard in it no more.

20 “Never again will there be in itan infant who lives but a few days,or an old man who does not live out his years;the one who dies at a hundredwill be thought a mere child;the one who fails to reach[z] a hundredwill be considered accursed.21 They will build houses and dwell in them;they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,or plant and others eat.For as the days of a tree,so will be the days of my people;my chosen ones will long enjoythe work of their hands.23 They will not labor in vain,nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,they and their descendants with them.24 Before they call I will answer;while they are still speaking I will hear.25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,and the lion will eat straw like the ox,and dust will be the serpent’s food.They will neither harm nor destroyon all my holy mountain,”says the Lord.

Judgment and Hope

66 This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,and the earth is my footstool.Where is the house you will build for me?Where will my resting place be?2 Has not my hand made all these things,and so they came into being?”declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:those who are humble and contrite in spirit,and who tremble at my word.3 But whoever sacrifices a bullis like one who kills a person,and whoever offers a lambis like one who breaks a dog’s neck;whoever makes a grain offeringis like one who presents pig’s blood,and whoever burns memorial incenseis like one who worships an idol.They have chosen their own ways,and they delight in their abominations;4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for themand will bring on them what they dread.For when I called, no one answered,when I spoke, no one listened.They did evil in my sightand chose what displeases me.”

5 Hear the word of the Lord,you who tremble at his word:“Your own people who hate you,and exclude you because of my name, have said,‘Let the Lord be glorified,that we may see your joy!’Yet they will be put to shame.6 Hear that uproar from the city,hear that noise from the temple!It is the sound of the Lordrepaying his enemies all they deserve.

7 “Before she goes into labor,she gives birth;before the pains come upon her,she delivers a son.8 Who has ever heard of such things?Who has ever seen things like this?Can a country be born in a dayor a nation be brought forth in a moment?Yet no sooner is Zion in laborthan she gives birth to her children.9 Do I bring to the moment of birthand not give delivery?” says the Lord.“Do I close up the wombwhen I bring to delivery?” says your God.10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,all you who love her;rejoice greatly with her,all you who mourn over her.11 For you will nurse and be satisfiedat her comforting breasts;you will drink deeplyand delight in her overflowing abundance.”

12 For this is what the Lord says:

“I will extend peace to her like a river,and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;you will nurse and be carried on her armand dandled on her knees.13 As a mother comforts her child,so will I comfort you;and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

14 When you see this, your heart will rejoiceand you will flourish like grass;the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants,but his fury will be shown to his foes.15 See, the Lord is coming with fire,and his chariots are like a whirlwind;he will bring down his anger with fury,and his rebuke with flames of fire.16 For with fire and with his swordthe Lord will execute judgment on all people,and many will be those slain by the Lord.

17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things—they will meet their end together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.

18 “And I, because of what they have planned and done, am about to come[aa] and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.